Learn how to use a free tool, Google Voice for your personal Google account, to make parent phone calls. Learn what settings are best, etc. We'll start from scratch.
An easy tool for sending emails, Yet Another Mail Merge relies on draft messages you’ve put together in Gmail. It pulls those emails up from your DRAFTS (you can “Compose” a message, then save it to the DRAFTS folder in Gmail). The email is addressed using email addresses that you’ve prepared in a Google Sheet and allows you to quickly “spam” or bulk email people.
The main benefit of YAMM is that you can add file attachments to your DRAFT email. The email attachments, of course, are sent when you use the YAMM add-on. This is helpful when you have prepared a paper form or publication (digital newsletter) in PDF format that you need to distribute. You can watch this short video tutorial if you would like to see how to use YAMM.
How to do mail merge with Yet Another Mail Merge (Gmail & a spreadsheet)
Google wizard Alice Keller has also created a Google Sheets add-on known as Email Parents.
Alice provides an illustrated tutorial of her add-on online at her blog Teacher Tech with Alice Keeler.
You can find a variety of Google Sheets add-ons. Here’s a quick overview of how to get to them:
Use Google Sheets to keep track of how and when you are communicating with students and vice versa.